Students from Kerala surprised the whole country when this
year’s UPSC Civil Service result came out. First rank, second rank, fourth
rank…and a long list of successful candidates from Kerala. This was one of the
best performance By Kerala in this exam till date. Likewise success of students
form J&K is showing that now this service is becoming more inclusive. Now dominance of students from Delhi or from Bihar or UP is shifting in the favour of states which were not faring well in Civil Service exam till recently. This
should inspire students from difficult background. Students from rural, remote and hilly areas, students from not so wide
known Universities, Students from Open Universities, students who are working
to support their family and so on. This
should inspire young generation to make Civil Service as their career goal.
Through this article, I am throwing some light over this exam for the beginners who are doing their plus two or who are in College for their graduation.
Civil Service is not just a profession, it is a service to
the society, to the nation. Similarly, UPSC Civil Service exam is not just a
job oriented exam, but it is an opportunity to you to serve your society and
Nation. This is considered as one of the toughest examination in our country
where you compete with people from all walks of life. But, if you prepare with
a good self- made strategy and passion, you can achieve success.
Opportunity- This exam gives you chance to choose
from a variety of services. Total 24 top services of this country are available
through this single exam. If you are interested in Administration, IAS is for
you. If you are interested in shaping India’s foreign policy then you can opt
for IFS. If you are a Police fan, then you can opt for IPS. There is Indian
Revenue service, Custom service, Accounts service, Railway Traffic service,
Postal service and a lot of other service which give you chance to start from
the top and to make a difference to your nation.
Eligibility- Graduate from any recognized university
(that includes Open Universities also) from any subject is eligible to appear
in this exam. There is no marks limit. Being a graduate is the only criteria.
Age limit is 21 to 30 for general candidate and there is relaxation to OBC and
SC/ST candidate and to Ex-serviceman. Details can be seen form Current
Notification for UPSC Civil Service exam from www.upsc.gov.in.
In Examination segment of website, go for Notification (archival) where you
will find Notification for CSP 2013 and Corrigendum. Syllabus and Previous
year’s question paper is also available in this website. Number of attempt is 4
for General candidates and there are relaxations for OBC/SC/ST and PH
candidates for no of attempts.
Exam Pattern-
PT- (Objective Type)
Preliminary examination consists of two papers-1) General
Studies & 2) CSAT.
General Studies consists of History, Geography, Political
Science, Indian Constitution, Economics, General Science, Current Affair,
International Relation etc. 100 questions carries 200 marks.
CSAT consists of Comprehension, Communication skills,Data
Analysis, Mathematics, Decision Making, Statistics, English language comprehension.
80 questions carries 200 marks.
There is provision for negative marking (0.33 mark deduction
for per wrong answer) for majority of questions except some segments like
decision making.
PT exam is qualifying in nature. Marks of PT are not added
in your final mark.
MAINS-
Mains exam consists of
One Optional Subject from the list of subjects given in UPSC
Notification, Common General Studies paper, Essay paper, Two qualifying paper
of English and Indian language. Candidates who pass mains exam, get chance to appear for Interview.
GS consists of four papers of 250 marks each. This is the
single largest component consisting of 1000 marks.
Paper 1- Indian History and freedom struggle, Indian
Heritage and Culture, World History, Geography and Society
Paper 2 Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and
International relations
Paper 3- Indian Economy, Science and Technology, Security
and Disaster Management.
Paper 4- Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude – this is a new
thing added this year. Case study based questions will be asked.
Optional- You will have option to choose 1 optional
Subject of your choice out of 26 different papers. There are 2 paper of 250 marks each for optional subject.
There are lot of variety for optional subject which includes History, Geography,
Political Science, Public Administration, Management, Agriculture, Accounting,
Sociology, Language and Literature of languages which are mentioned in 8th
schedule, Physics, Chemistry, Math etc. Questions are conventional (essay) type.
Essay- you have to write an assay for 250 marks. This
paper is for testing candidate’s writing skill, thinking process, analytical power and
his intellect.
English and Indian Language Paper- There are two
paper of 300 marks each which are qualifying in nature. Standard of papers is
of Matriculation level.
Interview- interview consists of 275 marks and it is
a test of your overall personality. Your suitability for service is assessed in
interview.
Totoal marks of exam which will count for your merit list is
2025 (GS 1000, Optional 500, Essay 250, Interview 275).
MYTHS
This is the scheme of examinations. There are so many myths
about the examination like this exam is very tough, people who take coaching
will be in more advantage, People of English medium will have upper hand, 16-18
hours study will be required etc. Do not get scared with all these myths. This
is just an exam and if you prepare with a good strategy and with passion, you
will have good chance to succeed. Make a strong foundation for GS by studying
NCERT books for Science and Social science from 6-12 standard, read good
newspaper, magazines and books, have some good hobby and participate in
extra-curricular activities during your school and college time and when in
last year of your Graduation, select your optional subject carefully. One year
time after your graduation is sufficient to prepare for this exam if you devote
honest 8-10 hours to study.
Regarding language myth, I would like to assure you that you
can achieve success in Civil Service exam with any Indian Language as medium.
Many candidates achieved success through Hindi, Tamil, Malyalam, Marathi and
other Indian language as their medium. Even for me, medium was Hindi. But, have a good command over English
and Hindi for verbal communication which will give you more confidence in
Interview.
Another myth is that coaching is necessary for success. I
have got success in this exam in my first attempt without any coaching. At the
same time, I prepared while doing a time consuming Clerical job with Indian
Railway. There are many people who prepared and succeeded in this exam without
any coaching. Coaching is just a mean, not a necessity.
So, prepare with a strategy of your own with passion to
serve your county despite all odds. Your self -confidence and self- motivation will
keep you on the track to become a successful Civil Servant.
